Staff-exchanger.



A. DOUGLAS.

STAFF EXCHANGER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.26. 1914.

1,151,167., Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-. WASHINGTON. D. c

A. DOUGLAS.

STAFF EXCHANGER.

APPLICATION FILED AueIzs, I9I4.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CDLUMXKIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

A. DOUGLAS.

STAFF EXCHANGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r0 1 9 1 4 9- 0@ u A d 6 LL H an rL a P WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES.

ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, or NOR-TH r-rrznoy, vIc'rosIA, AUSTRALIA, Assienon or ONE-HALF T0 .I-IERBERT HENRY nonssmmnr NORFDI-I .rrrznonaus'rnaua.

.STAFF-EXCHANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 24, 1915,

Application filed August 26, 1914. SerialNo. 858,716

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER DOUGLAS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 804: Brunswick street, North Fitzroy, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Staff-Exchangers, of which the followingis av specification.

The object of this invention is to provide stafl' exchangers adapted for fast traveling trains so that the exchange of staffs at appointed places on the line maybe effected without necessarily reducing the speed of the train.

According to this invention one exchanger is provided on the engine of a trainand the others at the side of the track at the positions where the staffs are to be exchanged.

The exchangers are similar in that they each have means to hold one staff in the required'position and to release another staff, while each may be moved or folded to render it inoperative when not required.

The drawings illustrating the invention compriseFigure 1 a sectional plan (broken) of the exchanger fixed to the engine, Fig. 2 an elevation and Fig. 3 an enlarged detail thereof; Fig. 4 a side elevation (broken) of the exchanger fixed at the side of the track and Fig. 5 a rear view. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the staff and case and Fig. 7 a section on line VII-VII Fig. 6, while Fig. Sis a diagrammatic View illustrating the application of the invention.

The exchanger on the engine E consists of a bar 1 preferably constructed as described hereinafter and extending forwardly. On'the forward end are mounted two inclined hinged arms 2.3 supported on springs 4:, 5. These arms are arranged one behind the other and the rearmost. one is longer than the forward one and is provided at its upper end with stopping means, such as a hook 6 and lower down with a projection or retaining catch 7.

The stafi 8, Figs. 6 and 7 is adapted to beplaced in a case 9 preferably made of leather to which a ring or hoop of cable wire or the like 10 is connected by means of a flexible flap 11 made of leather for instance and strengthened by a metal clip 12 and the case is provided with a slight opening 13 (which may have a cover) to enable the name of a station marked on the staff to be readily ascertained while the case also is provlded with a cap 14 to retain the staff. The staff case which is preferably round in section is adapted to be engaged with ring or hoop extends at right anglesto the engine or the bar 1.

Means are provided for preventing rotation of the case in the jaws. This may consist of a spring 18 on the'bracket adapted to bear upon a metal plate 19 p rovided onthe cap of the case.

The exchanger above described is adapted to be swung into or outof its operative position by means of a lever 20 pivoted asat 21 to the side of the engine. Accordingly, the lower end of the lever is bifurcated to receive a link 22 also bifurcated and pivoted to an arm 23. The latter is pivoted as-at 24 to the side of the engine and itsother end is bifurcated to receive a lug 25 on the bracket 16 of the exchanger bar, said lug being pivoted on a bolt 26 passing through the bifurcated end of said arm 23. Another arm 27 is arranged parallel to said arm 23 and similarly connected with the bracket in its operative position and retained by a hook 29 when in its inoperative position. The exchangers arranged at the side of the track Figs. 4 and 5 each consists of a bar 30 secured to a vertical standard 311 .on the ground. The forward end 30 of thebar is provided with spring controlled hinged arms 32, 33, hook 34 and catch 35 and the rear end is provided with jaws 36 all similar -to the exchanger on the engine. The forward end is pivoted as at 37 to the rear part and secured to the latter by a pin or bolt 38. By means of this construction the forward end of the bar may be swung down when not required against the standard.

The standard may be made of two separated angle irons which areypivoted as at 39 to a vertical lug 40 on the ground plate 41 and it is secured in its vertical position by a -removable pin 42 and by a spring-catch 43 engaging a small bar 44 on the standard The lug 40 abuts against a stop Which takes the shock When the staffs are being" exchanged.

After first swi1'1ging down the forward end 30 of the bar of the exchanger the pin 42 1s removed and the catch 43 released when& the standard may be folded down, into for instance, a casing (not illustrated) which may be kept locked to interference. a v The hinged arms onthe bars 1 and 30 con- 9; stitute aneflicient shock absorbingmeans:-

These arms project into thepath of the hoop and yieldinglyiengage the latter in itsmovement along, the rod so that a lateral strain on the arms and 27 and the standard 31 is reduced to. a minimum.

.l/Ve claim:-

.1. A; staff exchanger.comprising a forwardly fpro jectingzbar; inclined spring-sup: ported arms hinged to said bar, a staff case,

a hoop on thee-latter, and jaws on the rear end of -the'bar adapted tovelnb'racethe cas andhold the hoop in receiving position; I2. Astalfv exchangea'fcomprising a Wardly' projecting bar, inclined spring-sup ported arms hinged to the forward portion of the bar, a staff case,"a hoop connected to one side of the latter, and spring jaws on the rear end of the bar adapted to embrace the case and hold the hoop at right-angles to the bar. I

jaws 0n the rear e'nd of the bar='adaptedto embrace'astaff case, and means for-folding the exchanger lnto lnoperatlve position.

,5. A staff exchanger comprising a for- Wardly projecting bar,- substantially parallel I Copies of this patent may 'beobtained for prevent unauthorized upwardly inclined, spring-sup ported 3 arms hinged to the forward part of said bar, aws on the rear end of the bar adapted to embrace a staff case, and a lever for swlnging the exchanger into inoperative position.

6. rhstaif. exchanger comprising afor- 'Wardly pro ecting bar, inclined spring-supported arms hinged on the forward portion of the bar, a bracket on the rear end of the .latter,.s )ring jaws on the bracket adapted to hold a staff case in receiving position, a

' pair of parallel arms pivotally connected to a support and to the bracket, a lever pivoted on the support, a; link connecting the lever to one'ofthepa-rallel arms, and means for holdingthe lever f-inthe operative or inoperative position. 1 .w, j

7. A staff exchanger-;comprising a forwardlyprojecting bar, ac pivoted support therefor, springw supported buffer arms hinged on the support, and a bracket on the rea r end of the bar, and spring jaws on the bracket adapted to hold the staff in. receiv: ing position I v 8. A staff exchanger comprising a for-; wardly projectin'g bar constructed of two pivotally connected parts, a pin for holding said; parts, in alinement, inclined spring supported armshinged to the forward port-ion' of said barg 'aws-adapted to hold it staif in its .jrece. ng position, a pivoted standard to which said baris fixed, .and

means to hold the standard in a vertical position. y. {1.

9. A staff exchanger comprising a forwardly projecting bar, inclined spring supported arms hinged on the bar,a bracket on the rear end of the bar, spring'jaws on the bracketadapted to receive a-case containing the staff, a flexible hoopon the'case, asup.- port for the case on the bottom of the braclteaand a spring at the top of the latter to maintain the casein position. j'

j 10; lnja staff exchanger, the combination with'ai support for thestaff case, of a rod for removing the case from its support, and plurality of shock absorbing members mounted along the rod. v

lnltestimony whereof. Ihave hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALEXANDER DOUGLAS. i

. Witnesses: I i I EDWARD N. l/VA'rERs, ARTHUR J. VVATERS.

five cents each byjiaddressin g the "Gommissioner of Patents, Washington D, C3 7. v 

